Assessing and Treatment of Children: Mood Disorder vs. ADHD vs. The Garbage Can

Nearly five million children in the United States have some type of serious mental illness and 20% of children will be diagnosed with a mental illness. The most common childhood mental disorders are anxiety disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and disruptive behavior disorders. Establishing a diagnosis in children can be challenging. Multiple factors and variables can contribute to the diagnostic picture including physical, psychological, and emotional changes that occur with natural growth and development, the maturation process, and their ability to cope and adapt to the world around them. In recent times, mental health professionals are more and more perplexed by the research on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) versus mood disorders versus garbage can diagnosis such as oppositional defiant disorder. This workshop will attempt to mete out what is diagnostic versus what is useful in the assessment and treatment of children with complex presentations during evaluation. A live assessment will be demonstrated by the presenter.

Objectives

Upon completion of this workshop, participants should increase their ability to effectively care for clients by being able to: • Describe a life span, developmental approach to assessment • Utilize a dimensional approach to assessment • Identify how to incorporate a strength-based approach to boost client change • Apply the next step of assessment to treatment if